Diplomatic Bluebook plays up Senkakus situation

China incursions are threat to Japan: report

Japan faces threats to its land, sea and airspace, as well as to the lives of its people, as Chinese vessels repeatedly enter waters around the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, the government’s annual foreign policy report said Friday.

Under such circumstances, the Diplomatic Bluebook, as the Foreign Ministry’s report is widely known, says the government is resolved to buttress the alliance with the United States as a cornerstone of national security policy, because enhancing deterrence is “indispensable.”

The report, submitted by Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida to the Cabinet, says no ownership dispute exists between Japan and China over the Senkaku Islands. It restates the position, firmly held by the government for decades, that the uninhabited islets, called Diaoyu in China, are “inherent Japanese territory both historically and under international law.”

The report describes North Korea’s nuclear ambitions as posing a threat not just to Asia but to the entire international community.

It continues to refer to Takeshima, a pair of tiny islands in the Sea of Japan that are controlled by South Korea, as Japan’s “inherent territory.” South Korea calls the islets Dokdo.

In Seoul later Friday, a South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman issued a statement that strongly protested the contents of the report.

The report also touched on another territorial row with Russia, saying Japan is ready to make great efforts to resolve the dispute over control of four islands off Hokkaido — Kunashiri, Etorofu, Shikotan and the Habomai islets — although the two sides are still far apart on the issue. Japan wants the islands returned.

On the economic front, the report says Japan will “try its best to realize its national interest in a maximum manner through strong negotiating power” as it tries to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade talks as soon as possible.

The report renews Japan’s stated determination to tackle terrorism following the Algerian hostage incident mounted by Islamist militants in January, in which 10 Japanese were among dozens of foreign workers killed.

Kishida to attend G-8

Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday he will attend the two-day Group of Eight foreign ministerial meeting next week in London to discuss North Korea and Syria.

During a five-day trip to Europe starting Monday, Kishida will first attend a ministerial meeting Tuesday in the Netherlands between 10 nonnuclear countries to discuss nonproliferation and disarmament.

After attending the meeting of the Nonproliferation and Disarmament Initiative in The Hague, he is scheduled to go to London to attend the G-8 meeting on Wednesday and Thursday.

“At the G-8, we plan to discuss regional affairs such as North Korea and Syria, and strengthening efforts for cross-border issues, including antiterrorism measures,” Kishida said.

The G-8 consists of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States. A representative of the European Union is also expected to attend the foreign ministerial meeting.

Which part of history and which law of UN say that Senkakus are part Japan ?
Please be specific.

Before US transfer the adminstrative right to Japan, the Islands are not Japan’s,so obviously.
After the transfer of the right, it is still not Japan’s because at the time of transfer, US specifically said that US govt takes no position to the soverienty of the Islands.

At the time of transfer, both China and Taiwan (old govt and new govt of the same China) protested of the transfer, which was a perfect and leagal action of soverienty of Islands by any UN standards.

China is not a threat to Japan. Japan is a threat to herself.

How many world wars does Japan need to learn a lesson ?

Kitty Hawk

Both China & Taiwan have never owned Senkaku Islets in their history. Don’t say a fabricated story here. Study before speak.

乃亜 印場

You do realize that this is a Japanese site, right?

The *current* position of the US is that they “take no position on the sovereignty of the islands”, which is another way of saying that Japan, China, and Taiwan should settle the issue of who should own the islands on their own.

Who should own the islands depends on a variety of factors, including historical claims, location, practicality, etc.

One thing is clear, though, like it or not, the US did have control of the islands, and they did pass control to Japan. Since that time, Japan has certainly been the de facto administrator of the islands. China and Taiwan did complain, but their complaints were rejected. If they were willing to fight the US over it, they should have done so at the time.

Coming back after all these years and saying “Oh, we want these now” just because it’s convenient is a bit like if the UK decided that they want the US back now, even though they lost the war.

Since (right or wrong) Japan does actually control the islands now, and has done so for decades, anyone who tries to take them by force will be seen as an aggressor by the international community.

The solution to the issue is simple, take the issue to international court. Of course, if you do that, you can lose, which is what people are afraid of – but either way, the issue would be settles. It’s better to keep pushing the issue but never take it to court if your real intention is to distract attention away from issues at home.

Japan is now perusing an agreement to let Taiwanese fish there, so obviously they are not so unreasonable.

william ambrosia

Your points need direction here in the U.S. which appears to be besting your last question.